British Sex Comedy Habeas Corpus Swings into South Coast Repertory, Oct. 15

By Ernio Hernandez
15 Oct 2004

Habeas Corpus cast members Christopher Liam Moore and Lynsey McLeod.
Habeas Corpus cast members Christopher Liam Moore and Lynsey McLeod.
photo by Cristofer Gross

Alan Bennett's swinging '70s-set British sex farce Habeas Corpus begins at South Coast Repertory, Oct. 15.

Bill Rauch directs the work that will open Oct. 22 at the California company's Segerstrom Stage for a run through Nov. 21.

Habeas Corpus follows the story of a doctor who lusts after his patient, while the patient lusts after the doctor's son, and the doctor's wife lusts after the president of the British Medical Association. And don't forget the naughty vicar.

The cast features Jane Carr, Richard Doyle, Lynnda Ferguson, Patrick Kerr, Hal Landon Jr., Lynsey McLeod, Christopher Liam Moore, Kate A. Mulligan, Caitlin O'Connell, Daniel T. Parker and Phillip Vaden.

The design team includes Christopher Acebo (sets), Shigeru Yaji (costumes), Geoff Korf (lights) and Paul James Prendergast (sound). Philip Thompson serves as dialect coach and Ken Roht provides choreography. Randall K. Lum is stage manager.

Playwright Bennett has penned Beyond the Fringe (with director Jonathan Miller, satirist Peter Cook and actor Dudley Moore) as well as Forty Years On, Sing a Rude Song, Getting On, The Old Country, Enjoy, Kafka's Dick, A Visit from Miss Prothero, Single Spies (An Englishman Abroad and A Question of Attribution), The Wind in the Willows, The Madness of George III and Talking Heads.

Director Rauch co-founded and serves as artistic director of the Los Angeles-based Cornerstone Theater Company. He recently directed the world premiere of Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House at Yale Repertory Theatre. Other SCR credits include Anthony Clarvoe's Walking Off the Roof and Lovers and Executioners.

The remainder of the SCR season lineup is as follows:

  • A Christmas Carol (Nov. 27-Dec. 26) - Segerstrom
  • La Posada Magica (Dec. 10-23) - Argyros
  • On The Mountain (Jan. 2-23, 2005) - Argyros
  • The Clean House (Jan. 21-Feb. 27, 2005) - Segerstrom
  • The Root of Love (The Mandragola) (March 6-27, 2005) - Argyros
  • A Naked Girl on the Appian Way (April 1-May 8, 2005) - Segerstrom
  • Vesuvius (April 24-May 15, 2005) - Argyros
  • A View from the Bridge (May 20-June 26, 2005) - Segerstrom

    For tickets to Habeas Corpus at South Coast Rep, at 655 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, CA call (714) 708-5555. For more information, visit www.scr.org.